Cranes have numerous components that are subject to wear as cranes age. The health of linearly extending components, such as a boom extension or outrigger extension, may be difficult to determine without physically disassembling the component. For example, wear pads are disposed internal to the linearly extending component and may not be accessible for inspection. Similarly, seals within a hydraulic cylinder and not visible with the cylinder in operation. To physically inspect these parts requires disassembly of the components which entails a stoppage of work. This inspection is typically done when the crane is not in service to avoid disruptions at the job site and is performed at pre-determined intervals. Because of the difficulty is disassembling the components and the stoppage of work, the parts are typically replaced at this time, even if they still have usable life remaining.
The pre-determined interval is typically based on an amount of time, such as the age of the components or the service hours of the component. The average lifetime of the parts can be found based on past usage and a service interval can be set to ensure that the parts will be replaced before failure. Because not all parts last the average lifetime, the service interval is typically less than the average lifetime of the part. This results in the majority of the parts being replaced prior to their end of life.
It would be useful to have a system capable of determining the service condition of the components without requiring the disassembly of the component. This would enable the components to operate for longer periods of time before requiring service and would reduce the number of service parts required during the life of the crane. It would be useful for such a system to be a part of the crane itself, as well as a separate service tool for cranes not having the system.